Instinct
by Pirate Elf Kastel
Summary: Keira rushes to her garage to see if she can help Jak when he's chased out the stadium after winning the big race.


I need something to get me in the writing groove. Hopefully this helps.

And it's T because my quite innocent best friend was tomato red and went ohmygod! But I don't think it's M material.

... ... ...

Instinct

He won.

She couldn't believe it. He'd really won. She'd had complete faith in his abilities as a racer, as a fighter, and that inane capacity to survive anything. And while all zoomer races were dangerous enough to have the threat of death looming overhead every time a racer straddled the seat, this race was so much worse. Errol was already a crazy driver, but to get right down to it, the very core of this race, is that he hated Jak. So when a crazy man whom has no qualms about killing anyone is put on the track with someone he hates...

Well, she had a reason to worry didn't she? But he won! Against all odds he was now the grand champion.

But now he was running.

Jak hardly had a moment to soak in his victory before he was confronted by Praxis on his hover lift. The microphone had been turned off so that the public could not hear the conversation, but Kiera could guess how it went. She had started to descend the stadium seats, weaving through the cheering crowd the moment the eco fused elf's face had shown anger. That had been almost immediately.

Everything after that happened in a rush. Errol came whizzing out of nowhere and then there was a large explosion that caused everyone to duck and run away, then gun shots were heard. The next thing she was able to see was Jak; at least what she thought was Jak, running from the KG out of the stadium. She'd followed the crowd out of the stands, but for very different reasons.

Kiera ended up in her garage while everyone else was running away from the arena. He had to be here. He needed a place close by to hide, he had to be here. Please let him be there.

The first thing she noticed was the lights off. They'd been on when she left. That was a good sign. Next was that one curtain was partly opened. Those were always closed whether she was on one side or the other, only opened when she was passing through. The she-elf thought that it was a safe bet to close the doors, and quickly found the switch. It only took a moment for the hum of the mechanics to cease.

"Jak?" She walked slowly to the curtains while she called out softly, not to startle him. "Jak, are you here?" Her arm reached out to pull the curtains further apart. Distracting her from the task, she simply held the drape tightly as she turned to the sound of metal boots outside. "Jak, if you're here-!" Gasping in surprise when a pale hand suddenly grabbed her own, pulling her through the cloth, vaguely aware of being roughly pushed into a small alcove between two shelves on the adjacent wall.

Opening her eyes, the mechanic couldn't stop the next gasp to leave her lips. Kiera was looking at the profile of the elf that held her closely, intimately, sandwiched between him and the wall. She was looking at Jak, and he looked just like everyone said. Though his face was glaring toward the hidden doors, she could clearly see one obsidian eye. Next she noticed the fangs revealed through his vicious snarl. Then his ashen grey skin, and almost white hair. Both seemed to hold a light purple tint, reminiscent of the dark eco underneath the surface. The black horns quickly drew attention to themselves, although hiding amongst his hair they were one of the two most prominent of his features, the first being his eyes. Finally she felt the claws on his left hand on her waist. His right was resting against the wall by her shoulder, trapping her where she stood.

For what seemed like an eternity all that could be heard were the sounds of heavy breathing and deep growls, with a faint background of KG movement outside the garage. His grip tightened on her waist, causing his arm to wrap around to her back. The young woman noticed that every few seconds his ears would twitch, leading her to believe that he could very well hear what was happening beyond the doors.

After a while he seemed to calm, this Dark Jak. Then the sounds outside were gone. It hardly took a moment to realize that she was not prepared for his full attention. When he turned his head to face her it closed more distance between them. Only a couple fingers could fit between their noses, and it made it impossible for Kiera to stare anywhere but his eyes. Both were focused solely on her, and although they were completely blank, they seemed to hold such deepness, drawing her into them, far more intelligent than the animal he was said to be. Even though his appearance was that of monster, even though there was absolutely nothing comforting about this Jak, she wasn't afraid of him. Looking into his eyes, he was still in there somewhere, not completely lost to this dark creature. And then he surprised her, furthering her thought that he was not a beast, by doing the most unexpected of things.

He said her name.

It was a deep sound, not too unlike his normal voice, but guttural and soft. Said almost caringly? It was said not as a question, as one would think when dealing with a beast, (and this mechanic was pretty damn sure that this was no beast) but as a statement. He damn well knew exactly who she was.

His next movement made her very aware of their intimate position. Dark Jak lowered his face, making it impossibly closer, causing his nose, and his lips to brush her skin, her cheek, and her jaw line, and that little corner underneath her ear. Finally he came to a stop at the crook of her neck. His skin felt cool. Not cold, maybe just a few degrees lower than average. It made sense, as dark eco is a cold substance. Anyone would be able to feel a temperature difference if near even small amounts. But the feel of his cooled face, lips against her neck, arm around her waist, felt icy. She was held tightly in his embrace, being pushed into the wall, held chest to chest. His legs stood entwined with her own legs. And he was... Her eyes widened at this new sensation.

Oh precursors...

He was licking her.

She could feel his tongue gently stroke her skin from her collar bone to the corner of her jaw, as well as a deep rumble from his chest. The young mechanic didn't know what to do as she stared across the room at her nearly finished secret project. What would he do if she pushed him back? Would he get angry? Would she see why he's called a monster if she angered him? Would this be the last thing she'd ever do? She didn't know what to do, so she held as still as a rock, save for the rapid thumping of her over active heart, and hoped for the best.

Kiera didn't have to wait long. The dark eco channeler stopped his ministrations, although his face stayed at the crook of her neck. She could feel grip tighten again as his body stiffened against hers. The tip of his ear, the only one she could see, tanned, and his hair recaptured its blond and green color. The midnight colored horns receded into his skull. At last his skin regained its natural warmth, and though his grip loosened ever so slightly, he remained where he was.

"I'm sorry." He whispered slowly against her collar, lips ghosting across her skin, causing a shiver to run through her small frame. "It's just, I, when I'm like that. I mean that, I'm-" He always had trouble finding words to describe what he wanted to say. But somehow, she thought it seemed a little easier for him when he couldn't talk.

"It's ok." Kiera's voice was just as quiet. "You're not yourself, right? I get it."

Finally Jak brought his head out from its resting place on her shoulder. He looked her in the eyes and it had the same effect on her as when they were black, drawing her into their blue depths. So mesmerized by the raw emotion in his eyes, she almost missed what he said.

"No, Kiera. I am myself. I'm just more... I follow, instincts, more than I do reason. I'm always aware of what I'm doing, I just, I don't really think about it until the eco runs out.

"Just now, back in the stadium, I knew facing all those guards was a stupid idea, so I ran. I felt that I would be safe here." That made her smile, just a little, that he would feel safe with her. "After you closed the doors, I could hear the guards before you could. I can take care of myself, and I know that your no push over, but I... I needed to protect you." His last few words were hardly audible, but that in no way changed their impact on her.

Jak was having trouble finding his words, but he continued anyway. She could see the vulnerability in his eyes. He was risking everything that made him, him, just by telling her.

"I couldn't let them hurt you. So I hid you with my body. A bit basic, but I would be the first thing they saw, and hopefully, would have made them too distracted to notice you at all between these shelves."

Kiera couldn't help but stare at him in awe. Jak was protecting her. She'd always known him to be the type to protect his friends back in Sandover. He'd proven he still was when he rescued her father from the prison. But this, this was different. Getting caught in the garage meant he would be effectively cornered. And her oldest friend just told her that while in a more impulsive and basic mind set he would have taken on every single guard just to make sure they didn't hurt her. And she couldn't help but notice that she was still in a tight embrace.

"And the licking?"

He broke eye contact with a blush, looking to the wall at her back instead. "Uh... that was, I mean it was, I mean, that I, that, ehh?"

She'd never heard him stumble like this, and it was adorable. It was clear he wouldn't be able to get a solid sentence out "So I guess," the young woman smiled shyly at him. "That your instincts kinda like me, huh?"

It was meant as a tease. Kiera just wanted to see how uncomfortable she could make him, if she could make him blush anymore. But then he looked at her again, and she thought he was looking into her soul. His ocean blue gaze held so much vulnerability, but his voice was strong, if only soft, and it struck her to her core.

"I like you."

Years from now she would still be able to remember every word he whispered to her now.

"I've always liked you. Always felt more than friendship. And I had always thought I'd have forever to tell you. But then we came here." Jaks hand finally left the wall beside her to gently cup her cheek "That's when I realized I loved you, when you weren't there anymore. And I know-" He paused. He was looking at her with such openness, with so much emotion. He'd just confessed his love but he was scared to continue.

Oh, please don't stop. I didn't think that you would ever say these things to me, please don't stop! Her own eyes seemed to speak. The mechanics hand rose to hold his larger one on her cheek.

That was all the encouragement he needed as his deep voice continued its whisper. "I know, I'm always going to love you. No matter what happens, no matter who I am, I will always love you."

He once again lowered his face to hers, tenderly brushing his lips with hers this time.

That was the moment Kiera knew she would love him no matter what.


End file.
